pnut

You're absolutely correct. Muscle has no memory but the neural networks and pathways that are formed over repeated motions is what actually is happening. Driving home and not remembering the drive is an example although there's more going on than just that. Tying a bow in your shoelaces or for me at least, folding laundry is another example because I work in a laundry and my brain drifts while my body is on autopilot. I think you are correct though. Muscle memory is just another way of saying second nature and the comparison to not using as much RAM is a good analogy. Younger people would maybe relate to an app running in the background. Pnut

In the city if you can have a BBQ grill you should be able to use a charcoal forge. Mine only smokes until the kindling is burned and then there's no real smoke or very little anyway. Good luck and keep everyone posted on the progress. Pnut

I might be confusing your patch of the Buckeye state with someone else's. I seem to remember walking through a gorge in Hocking hills that was primarily sandstone and a little granite? If that's not your bailiwick I am confusing you with another member and I apologise. Pnut

Are you married to the idea of using gas? There's no rule that says you can't have more than one forge. You could build a jabod in the morning and have all afternoon to forge while you're wanting on your supplies. I built a mapp gas forge similar to that before I started to research forges and by making the top and bottom with just one brick placed lengthwise for each instead of two placed like you have them will decrease the forges inner volume and make your torch have less to try to heat up. Look for a stainless steel nozzle too. The tip my torch came with didn't last long. Pnut

That is terrible. If your property isn't suited to the use it was sold to you for would that leave room for you and other homeowners to enter a class action lawsuit against the developer/realtor or is it a buyer beware situation? I wish you all the best in your endeavors to get the gov. to release your disability benefits to you in a timely manner. I have had dealings with the SS dept and they can be quite difficult to deal with on your own. I hope you've retained legal representation. I made the mistake of going it alone for nearly three years before I called anyone to help and they basically postponed and delayed until I had no money whatsoever and had to try to work or starve while homeless. It worked out for the best because as soon as I dropped my claim I was diagnosed and treated and got back to work. While I was applying I couldn't find a doctor to diagnose what was wrong with me. As soon as I told a doctor I was trying to get disability they didn't want to be the person to diagnose the condition and the docs the SS dept sent me to were a joke. I spent nearly four years barely able to walk. I still have to sleep in a recliner but my quality of life has increased tenfold. I hope it works out for you. It's very stressful being in limbo. You and your family are in my thoughts. Pnut

I started with a flat linked chain. You know the kind that have about a 45 degree twist in each link so they lay flat like a choker chain for a dog. It worked but a motorcycle or timing chain works better. I attached the chain to the stump with a piece of cable and an an eye bolt. The other end of the cable has a stirrup that I can put my foot on to create tension. It makes two handed operations much more manageable. Pnut

Google blacksmith flatter. Pnut

Here in northern Kentucky we had a low of 14F the other day and a high today at right around 50F. We also seen a stretch of 15 days straight of over 60F at the beginning of the month. Pnut

Are the top dies two pieces? A striking surface attached with a retaining pin to the working face of the die. That's a great idea. Pnut

Most first knives don't have an actual distal taper. Good job. Can't wait to see more. Pnut

Absolutely a great book for making animal forgings. It's the only book I'm aware of that specifically focuses on it. I'd love to find a copy at the local used bookstore. Pnut

Marc1,Proficient shooting is definitely a perishable skill and I'm pretty sure your right about welding falling into that same category. I think most things that require dexterity and technique must be practiced to stay at YOUR peak level of performance. After being away from field target competition for a while I definitely let myself get rusty and had some catching up to do. Pnut

Glad to have you. I'm just outside of Cincinnati. Sounds like the Blacksmithing addiction has already got you in it's grip. Yeah you are lucky to be right by SOFA. You won't have an excuse for missing quad state I guess. Welcome aboard. Be safe and remember it's supposed to be fun. Looking forward to seeing you progress. Pnut

Looks a little like a turnbuckle but I don't know for sure. Maybe something for heavy rigging. Pnut

If you're working in a shop and trying to make a living it seems prudent to use whatever method that will have good results with the smallest expenditure of time money and materials so I have to say yes with the caveat unless you are making a reproduction with the methods used during the historical period that the item is from and arc and oxy/acetylene welding wasn't the norm then. If you're a hobbyist that's a completely different mission. You can use whatever you enjoy using. The short answer is yes I think arc and oxy/acetylene welding has a place in blacksmithing. I would guarantee a working smith from whatever period used the most efficient methods at their disposal as blacksmiths tend towards practicality and pragmatism. The " period blacksmith" is a pretty recent development with the exception of traditional Japanese swordsmiths who use older techniques as it is involved in their Shinto belief system and not because they want to be "old timey". Marc1, I agree with the master blacksmith you mentioned above. Pnut

I live in a tiny one room apartment and don't have the space to build a forge. I'm not allowed to build anything outside so I've contacted a couple forge manufacturers and if the neighbors continue to complain about my solid fuel forge I will be buying a diamondback series III two burner blacksmith forge that comes lined with ceramic fiberboard and some plistix. The landlord said if there's continuing complaints about a forge sitting outside I can use a gas forge so long as I bring it back inside. This forge fits the footprint I'm looking for and I haven't been able to find a bad review about it. It's under five hundred dollars but not by much. I know some folks like tinkering with forges and burners but I prefer to spend what little free time I have actually forging versus building forges. Regarding the K-26 soft firebrick and angle iron forges I wouldn't expect them to last very long until it turns into a pile of rubble. Pnut

Strange but true. Calling them limited edition and numbering them in a series also adds to the snob factor. Pnut

I don't know about the op, but after I added everything up and without scrounging any materials plus the cost of miscellaneous tools like taps etc. I came up with about the same price for a home build as a commercial forge and burner, not to mention the forge and burner I build wouldn't be any better and quite possibly a lot worse than what I can purchase. If I could attend a forge building workshop I would be very interested in going that route as I don't have an indoor shop or tools really. The main reason I build jabods is because I have the tools to do it properly. If I had a shop, a welder, and drill press which I know aren't strictly necessary but make it much easier, I would give building a gas forge a try on my own. That's my personal reasons I would prefer to buy versus build. Pnut

Like IFD&C said smaller pieces work best. Somewhere between a walnut and an acorn is what I have the best results with. I use charcoal dust and beeswax as a lube for punching or sometimes I just drop a pinch of charcoal dust in the hole. I haven't been able to figure out a good way to use the dust as fuel though. If you can compress it enough to not need a binder you can use it for fuel but that's the part I haven't been able to work out. If you use a binder you might as well be using briquettes and they make too many sparks for me. Pnut

I was just funning with you about how patient you are when it comes to answering the same question over and over. I for one appreciate your help. Pnut

Corkscrews and cheese slicers. Pnut

I experimented with the crayon method too and it likes to roll. I prefer making cakes about an 1.5 inches thick and four inches across. I used a paper fast food beverage cup as the mold but I tried to make it as simple as possible by only using lampblack charcoal dust and beeswax. Pnut

Coopers carve a V shaped notch around the top and bottom of the inside of bourbon barrels but that doesn't look like the tool. Pnut

My neighbor says the dog will alert him before the pump. I'm sure that for a lot of people the cost is prohibitive. I think they put the dogs through about a year of training which isn't cheap. I wish you the best of luck with your insurance and docs. They can be trying at times. I was recently told my liver isn't damaged enough yet to receive treatment that could keep me from having further liver damage. It made no sense to me whatsoever. It's like telling someone your house isn't burning enough for the fire department to come. Wait till the fire is bigger. Pnut

It looks like an "as forged" finish that they weren't particularly interested in trying to get very smooth and maybe even put a few random dings in it with a ball pien hammer as it cooled instead of trying to smooth it out. A dip in chlorine bleach or swimming peroxide will make it quickly rust. Pnut